


Keep Your Friends Close And Your Enemies Closer

by miilkybee



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Also storytime!, Angst, Daydreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fantasizing, Flashbacks, Fluff, I feel like I should announce that even if a character is just mentioned I put them in the list, Let's confront Shadows bad habits and turn that into something much better, M/M, Mutual Pining, Scourge and Fiona are Shadows neighbors and theyre having relationship problems, Shadow is falling fast and hard guys, Sonadow - Freeform, The smut finally showed up to the party, This next chapter just reads 'uwu' in all honesty, Two Big Idiots Don't Even Realize They're Dating Until Rouge And Tails Point It Out, Updated tags:, ended early, it gets gayer, tags and character list will most likely be edited throughout the story, this is really gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 08:49:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19147621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miilkybee/pseuds/miilkybee
Summary: "Can I tell you a secret?""You can tell me anything."☆☆☆Falling in love was never easy for either hedgehog, and for them to fall in love with one another was something that neither saw coming.☆☆☆This is a little bit of an AU, but a lot of things are the same as the canon, so it shouldn't be difficult to follow.Ended prematurely due to personal reasons. Check chapter 7 for details.





	1. I: ON EDGE

**Author's Note:**

> Just a warning: if you're under 16, I would rather you not read this. I would really prefer an 18+ audience here because it's definitely more that type of work. There will be sex at some point, and I really don't need kids around for that - no offense, of course. I can't stop you from reading this, but I'm providing fair and early warning.

The clock on the wall read 2:19.

Shadow couldn't sleep. Although it was mid-October, he felt too hot every time he laid down. Blankets or not, his skin seared from within. Or maybe not. He couldn't tell. He turned the heat off, switched his ceiling fan on. He laid back down, crossing his legs over one another and settling his hands on his chest. He sighed and closed his eyes.

One minute passed. Then five minutes; then ten. When it was creeping up on twenty, he sat up in a blind rage, supporting himself with his hands. He touched his bare palm to the side of his leg, trying to see if he just felt hot on the inside and was actually as cold as if he was just pulled from the cryogenic chamber and it was 2246 all over again. The thought of being on the same team as the Doctor was an unpleasant one, so he pushed the events of six years ago away.

His fur was icy. Scowling, he got back up from the bed and turned his fan off. He then waltzed unhappily all the way to the living room in which the thermostat resided. He looked at the device hanging upon the wall, mocking him somehow by simply stating '70°F' with a small indicator reading 'heating system off'.

Shadow hesitated over the button that would turn the heat back on, then jammed it in. The small screen lit up and the indicator changed to 'heating system on'. He grumbled all the way back to his room, and then sat on the end of the bed with his head in his hands.

He knew why he couldn't sleep. He dreaded the reason why.  _Stop thinking about him._

He stood back up, eyes angled toward the small balcony that was perched on the side of the highrise sitting right outside of his kitchenette. Dragging his hands through his quills, he walked over to the terrace door. The glass was dusty and the outside panel sported a splotch of some unidentifiable substance, but he pushed it open anyway, leaving a partially complete handprint in the film of dust.

He stepped into the cold, crisp air, taking a deep breath as if to calm the fire burning within him. The slightly smoggy, forty-percent humid air clumped up in his lungs and he felt a little cooler. Instead of gazing at all the dazzling, colorful lights that graced Central City, he instead turned his eyes to the sky.

It had a dusty rose tint to it in the eastern most half, while the west was midnight black. He could see stars spattering the backdrop of the void that rested beyond the clouds meandering through the atmosphere. For the most part, they were cumulus clouds, and Shadow thought that perhaps he could fall asleep if he laid on something that looked as soft as that. He then reminded himself that it was simply ice crystals and water vapor, and suddenly it didn't sound so comfortable.

But what did sound comfortable was getting all this energy out. He had the week off, since he worked overtime almost every day for three weeks and change, but he was getting antsy without something to do.

 _You could always see if he's awake. He'll probably go on a run with you or something,_ an inner voice said.

 _I have been told that sleeping is an activity that Sonic enjoys. Not to mention that I could go on a run by myself,_ Shadow argued.

_Do it._

He felt crazy for doing so, but he retrieved his phone from his bedside table and pulled up his messages. The last person he had texted was Rouge, three days ago. Then it was Sonic, two weeks ago.

He tapped on the conversation he had had with the speedster and scrolled back up to the start of their most recent chat.

 **Faker (10•4)**   _hey_

 **Faker (10•4)**   _u ok? u been at work a lot. just wanted 2 check in_

 **You (10•4)**   _Do not worry about me, hedgehog. I am fine. I'm just very busy._

 **Faker (10•4)**   _good 2 hear_

 **Faker (10•4)**   _stay safe dude. im here if u ever need to talk_

 **You (10•4)**   _I appreciate the concern and offer. You stay safe as well._

A read receipt followed, and Shadow realized that Sonic had liked the last message, indicated by a small heart with Sonic's icon next to it. He felt a small smile grace his lips.

He tapped the chatbox at the bottom and began typing.

 **You (10•18)**   _Hey_

 **You (10•18)**   _Are you awake?_

A read receipt came in before Shadow even had the opportunity to wait for it.

 **Faker (10•18)**   _yea_

 **Faker (10•18)**   _whats up?_

Shadow paused, thumbs over the keyboard. He didn't know what to say. He didn't think he'd get this far.

 **You  (10•18)**   _Can't sleep. Do you wanna go for a run, perhaps?_

 **Faker (10•18)**   _lol me neither_

 **Faker (10•18)**   _but thst sounds good! where do u wanna meet_

 **Faker (10•18)**   _oops *that_

Shadow chuckled at Sonic's small spelling mistake and means for making up for it; then thought about it for a moment, considering the places between Station Square and Central City that seemed the most reasonable.

 **You (10•18)**   _I think that the Mystic Ruins would be a nice place. Calm at this hour. Good running area too._

 **Faker (10•18)**   _sounds good! c u there in a few_

Shadow grinned and set his phone back on the nightstand. He slipped into his shoes, made sure the door was locked behind him, and calmly made his way out of the apartment building before turning himself loose onto the streets.

His skates were blazing as he ran for the Ruins, keeping next to the train tracks as to not get lost, giddy just to see Sonic. They were often softer with each other when alone, as Shadow felt no need to hold a facade up whilst only around his counterpart.

He made it there within five minutes, but stood alone in the wide opening in which he had met Sonic before when being asked to help him in the workshop. He could see said building up the hill, with one window tinted with light at this ungodly hour. Tails always stayed up late working.

He figured that maybe Sonic had to get ready or had some other reason for being late. He occured to him that he also might've taken the train, so he found a nice rock on which to sit, staring up at the stars. He couldn't see the clouds from here, and he tried to identify some constellations while waiting for the hero.

He spotted the Dippers, Libra, and a few more whose names he'd forgotten, which he shamed himself for. After a few minutes, he was acutely aware of another presence. He thought it may have just been any variety of small critter, so he brushed it off and turned his gaze to the heavens once more.  _Orion the hunter-_

Then, he knew he was being watched. He angled his head down from the sky, and scanned the area, left to right. He was surprised to see Sonic standing at the far edge of the clearing, looking like an oversaturated ghost in the dim moonlight, arms halfheartedly crossed and staring at Shadow with gleaming eyes.

Sonic shook his head and said, just between too quiet to hear and a mumble, "Sorry, you're just so..." He trailed off, and Shadow didn't catch when he finished the sentence under his breath. "... _pretty_."

Shadow stood up, crossed his arms, and met the Blue Blur halfway in the clearing. "You look cold."

Sonic had rubbed his arms twice within the ten seconds that Shadow had been looking at him. "I'm not. A little midnight chill can't keep me down."

Shadow noticed that his voice was soft and almost shuddery, like he may crumble to ash at any second. He felt the urge to scoop him into his arms to make sure he was there, was tangible, that this wasn't a dream.

"So, do you wanna run, or...?"

"I do. Just...distracted, I guess."

"By what?"

Shadow almost let the 'you' slip out, but managed to stop himself and simply shrug. "Not sure."

Sonic mirrored the gesture and pointed a thumb up a slope. "I think Windy Valley would make for a nice run. How about you?"

Shadow nodded, but he said, "Is it strange that I don't even really feel like running even though I said that? I just...wanna be here."

"With you," he added after a split second.

A tint of color appeared on Sonic's cheeks, but he laughed and playfully nudge-punched Shadow in the shoulder. "That's gay," he joked. He was completely fine with Shadow's sexuality. It didn't bother him in the least; he accepted him for who he was. If for some reason he turned into a raving lunatic, being gay wouldn't affect it at all. They still made fun of each other about it nonetheless.

Shadow laughed and punched Sonic back, saying, " _You're_ gay!"

"Only _some_ ," Sonic insisted, putting his hands on Shad's shoulders and shoving him back an inch or three.

Shadow bit his lip in the midst of a grin and tackled the other, who burst out laughing as they rolled in the grass. They play-fought, laughing and landing small flicks or punches.

When they tumbled to a stop, they were next to each other, looking into the the other's eyes. It was peaceful, it was calm, and most of all, they were happy. It was rare the duo got times to themselves, especially with Eggman running rampart half the time. To be able to lay in the grass under a mostly clear sky on a cool, crisp October night was like a blessing. No, not like - it really  _was_ a blessing, for both of them.

They had not a care in the world as they lay in the dark, catching their breath, hands close enough to be held, and both secretly wished the other would make a move. Even if it was just a brush, a simple touch or word, it might change everything.

Shadow didn't want to take a chance and break his own heart. He'd suffered so much that another emotional blow might just bring all his walls, all the defenses he'd spent several years building up, crumbling to the dirt. Sonic didn't want to somehow damage their already fragile friendship. Even though they were comfortable with one another, love was and always had been a touchy subject for either hedgehog. He didn't want to hurt Shadow more than he already had been; in fact, he wanted the exact opposite - for Shadow to forget his pain and enjoy his life.

Neither said a word, though, just smiled at one another. They both needed stability, a shoulder on which to lean and/or cry, and somehow they were already provided it to each other without even realizing.

Shadow raised an arm, pointed up to the void. "Do you see it?"

Sonic, almost hesitantly, looked away from him and up to the sky. "What am I looking for?"

Shadow's voice shuddered with love and sorrow and every other emotion he kept bottled up inside his heart, " _ARK_."

Sonic squinted, peered between his eyelids and followed Shadow's gloved finger up to the heavens. Between the clusters of gas, stardust, and other celestial oddities, he made out a small smudge even odder. The browning eggshell white semi-sphere with a navy blue underside was barely standing out, but with a little assistance, he could see it clearly. "ARK," he repeated, daring to inch closer to Shadow.

The striped agent brought his hand back down, rested it on his chest. His ruby-red eyes trailed down to meet Sonic's emeralds. He could feel their breath mingling. The near-silence was comfortable, unoppresive much like other silences, and cozy. Shadow could've fallen asleep, right there and then, but he didn't. He wanted to drink in the moment, even if that meant not being able to sleep when he returned to his apartment.

"Are you okay?" Sonic muttered, putting his hand over Shadow's, whose breath nearly caught in his throat. His heart might've just fluttered out of his chest and ran away.

Shadow didn't even realize the tears brimming at the corners of his eyes until Sonic said that. He wiped them away with his free hand and said, "Yeah. I don't know why I'm crying." He laughed humorlessly.

Sonic gave a gentle squeeze to his hand. "Were you thinking...about her?" He let out the 'her' near breathlessly, handling the topic of Maria very gently, like if he even dare fumble with it, the memory of the girl would shatter into a million pieces and scatter hopelessly, with no chance of being regathered.

"A little," Shadow admitted. He was always thinking about her. She was his sister, after all. They had loved each other to the ends of the universe, which Maria said meant that their love for each other never stopped because the universe was constantly expanding. Shadow felt that way about her, and Gerald, and maybe even Sonic. He loved Rouge and Omega, but not in the same way. He could never love anyone the way he loved Maria.

"It's good to remember things," Sonic almost whispered. He then added, still just over his breath, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"You can tell me anything."

"Promise you'll never tell anyone unless I say it's okay? Like, not even Rouge or Omega?"

"Cross my heart," Shadow murmured.

"Okay..." Sonic took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for something he was very anxious about. "I wasn't born a guy. I'm trans, but already transitioned. Underwent the final surgeries and stuff not long after I met you, actually. Between the Biolizard and Metal. I just wanted to tell you."

Shadow, voice even softer than Sonic's, said, "Thank you for trusting me." He never imagined being trusted with a secret of this magnitude!

"I haven't even told Amy or Knuckles yet. Only you, Tails, and my immediate family know. I don't know, I just..."

"Not knowing is normal. I didn't even know there was a such thing until I met Blaze," Shadow chuckled dryly.

Sonic laughed a bit, too, but it wasn't forced. It was real, and it made Shadow's heart, which he had discovered had never actually left his chest, swell with adoration. 

"Thanks, Shads. I'm glad I can count on you."

Shadow hummed in acknowledgment, and realized Sonic and him had been kind of holding hands the whole time. He said kind of because it had started as a gesture of comfort for Shadow and had turned into comfort for Sonic. And now, it was just something nice - a connection - for both of them.

Sonic didn't even realize when Shadow dozed off, and then he followed not long thereafter.


	2. II: MO(U)RNING

Shadow's eyes fluttered open to the sunlight filtering in through his lids. Even being the Ultimate Lifeform did not affect how bright the sun was.

He heard birdsong, and there was also the sound of dragonflies flitting about. A few butterflies and a honeybee passed by as he scanned his surroundings.

When his still half-asleep brain processed that he wasn't at home in his bed, he jolted up, feeling something on his hand. He looked around, saw Sonic sleeping next to him, and remembered last night. He let his guard down and slowly, gently, slid his hand out from underneath Sonic's. The slumbering hedgehog was like a rock, and Shadow was surprised how heavy a sleeper he was. With the way he acted when awake, he figured that he'd be up in a second at the slightest disturbance, but then again, he knew very little about the way a normal sleep schedule worked, as he had never had one. It's hard to sleep well after being in stasis for a good fifty or so years, even after almost seven years passing by.

He sat up properly and stretched. He never expected that laying on grass and dirt could've been mildly comfortable, but wasn't surprised when his joints popped and cracked all over despite him having been comfortable throughout the night.

When he stood up, his legs felt stiff and they cracked, too, but he felt warm and pleasant. He attempted to determine the time of day by the sun's position, and he figured it wasn't too far after dawn, maybe seven o'clock. He hadn't slept long, maybe three or four hours, but he felt more refreshed than ever. Perhaps because he was with Sonic. He'd come to realize the other hedgehog had Chaos Energy in him - whether it was natural or not, Shadow didn't care nor bother to look into - and thought that perhaps they had exchanged it while dreaming.

_Maybe that's why I didn't have a single nightmare..._

He looked down at Sonic, who had moved a little since Shadow stood up. Was the pure goodness radiating off him really in such quantity that they could shoo Shadow's night terrors away with just a touch?

Shadow knew the night terrors would come, and they never failed. _Every single night_. He dreaded it, and it brought him to hate sleep. They had started shortly after Team Dark had helped the other three -  _Sonic, Rose, and Chaotix if I recall correctly_ , he added - get rid of the Metal Overlord. 

He had ammesia, and he had it pretty bad. He stayed with Rouge for a week, but every night, he woke up flailing and screaming. He left because he didn't want to disturb Rouge. He felt bad enough for everything else by then.

All of his nightmares before regaining his full yet still slightly fragmented memory consisted of two scenes, whether they followed or preceded one another was a different question to which Shadow had, at the time, no answer to.

The two images were still phenomanally clear inside his head, even here in the grassy patch of the Mystic Ruins, standing next to Sonic.

The first was still the most painful.

_**One foot in front of the other, keep going, faster, faster!**  he urged himself, pushing on through the long corridor on the outer edge of the space colony; metal clanking underfoot, stars behind glass to the left, fluorescents overhead, more steel to the right. Except Maria was also to the right. He gripped her small, soft hand even tighter as she did her best to keep up with him, and he could still hear the footsteps of the squadron behind them. They weren't close enough just yet, but they were still too near._

_Shadow wanted to scoop Maria up in his arms and blast off down the hall, but he didn't know what he would do from there. He had no game plan. Just the primal urge to run, like that of the prey, and Shadow wasn't comfortable feeling hunted._

_Just as he almost took up his own offer to pick her up and power up his skates, the troop caught up with them. He was suddenly acutely aware of Maria's panting, shallow breaths. He was also aware that he had been breathing the same way. They brought themselves to a stop, because Maria was scared and couldn't run anymore._

_The disease had been taking a harder toll on her lately. It was eating away her strength, in its disgusting parasitic nature. She often had to stay in bed for many days, hooked up to three monitors and an IV drip, but every second when Shadow wasn't training and being tested, he was at her side. On the one or two good days a week she had, they did small activities that both enjoyed - played cards, visited the Chao Garden, read books._

_Today was one of her good days, but she still wasn't in the best condition. She hadn't been eating as much, said she wasn't hungry, but Shadow could feel her withering away, even beneath his hand now. He was scared he wouldn't be able to heal her in time. When the GUN soldiers arrived, he knew he couldn't save her. But he had to take a chance, right?_

_The one at the front of the squad had a peculiar visor, and he raised a pistol. Shadow's eyes flickered from the man to Maria, who gasped and looked at him. Her eyes were wide, blown with fear, and he could read her terror from a million lightyears away._

**_I don't want to_ ** _**die** , he felt her whisper inside her own head, and then the man with the strange red visor pulled the trigger._

_"Maria!" he had cried out, seeing the bullet whiz right through her new cerulean jacket, into her, then out the other side. He saw it pierce her and then the metal of the wall down the rounding hallway._

_Her brilliant blue eyes were full of fear and pain as he held her up, shouting at the men that he'd kill them, to stay back, to look at what they'd done to her!_

_"She was innocent! What did she do to deserve this?!" his volume increased drastically, electricity crackling in his free hand. But then, before he could execute even a single Chaos Spear, Maria was dragging him down the hall again._

_He was stunned that she had the energy left to even stand, but she pulled him down the corridor and slipped into a room that Shadow had never been in before. She pushed him to the middle of it, and she slammed down a button at the control panel._

_Shadow, shocked and still shaking with anger, hatred, and fear, was enclosed in a small tube that was perfectly sized for him._

_Maria stumbled across the room, jacket all crimson around the wound that was no bigger than half an inch. Blood trickled from between her small, delicate lips. She had never been paler or more ghostly as she pressed her hand up against the glass to meet with Shadow's._

_Her eyes were starting to grow a little hazy. He could see her veins, just as blue as her eyes, through her almost translucent skin. Blue had always been her favorite. "Shadow, help me."_

_"Maria-"_

_"For all the people down on that planet...give them the future...they deserve. For me, Shadow..."_

_Said hedgehog was in tears. They stung in his eyes, rolled down his cheeks, stained his fur. He choked out, between sobs, "Maria..."_

_"I...love you, Shadow," she whispered, breath hitching, jaw quivering. Her hand shook against the glass. "I love you as much as the universe is big...and it's always growing...so my love for you never ends..."_

_She was starting to trail off, and she was crying, too. Whether of pain or another sensory overload, Shadow wasn't sure. He was terrified._

_"I love you as much as the universe is big," he repeated, words quivering as much as the rest of him, meaning it more than ever. His eyes were blurry now._

_"It never ends...remember that..."_

_The sound of an airlock hissing didn't escape Shadow's mind even if it was overflowing with emotion and pain._

_"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog..."_

_The last words tumbled from her lips as the chamber released and shot off into space, hurtling down towards Earth at unimaginable speeds. Without the little bit of support, Maria collapsed, clutching her chest. Her eyes were almost all gone now, even if Shadow couldn't see it. He could picture the light fading out of them and the sharp, electric blue flickering out and glazing over with a white-ish hue._

_He barreled down to Earth in the small glass container, pounding on the glass and screaming in anger and grief, in the fiery hands of terminal velocity. He shook and sobbed, for Maria, for Gerald. In the midst of his fury, looking up at the rapidly furthering space colony overhead that stood out with it's off-white coating against the star-spattered void, something occurred to him._

**_She's giving me another chance._ **

"-adow! Dude, c'mon, snap out of it!" Sonic had him by the shoulders, was shaking him a tad, looked extremely worried.

Shadow hadn't realized that Sonic had woken up. That Sonic had stood up, stretched and tried to talk to him. Shadow hadn't realized that he was practically bawling, looking up at the morning sky, lost in the memory brought up from recollection of his night terrors.

Shadow blinked for a moment, gathering himself out of the memory and into the real world. Then, he began fervently wiping the tears out of his eyes, and failing. "Chaos, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me! I don-"

"Shadow! You're okay! Oh, man, I thought I had lost ya for a minute there!" Sonic exclaimed with glee, throwing his arms around Shadow and pulling him into a much needed embrace.

Shadow, over his brief intial shock, settled his hands just below Sonic's final set of spines, still crying a little, but not at all as intensely.

He pushed the lachrymose scene of Maria out of his head, which only brought up another. The other reoccurring nightmare.

_He was falling. Freefalling away and away from the ARK, closer and closer to the Earth. It was happening again, but this time, it was different. His fur was sparkling, white-hot gold, rapidly diminishing at the furthest reaches of his limbs, energy fading with it._

_A brighter, glittering gold form shot forward out of the darkness. It turned and came to him, grabbed him by the wrists and pulled him into its arms._

_"I never though I'd go out like this," Sonic said, as if death was a prospect he wasn't terrified of. "Kinda anticlimactic."_

_Shadow shook his head. The colony was growing farther and farther away. "Take off my inhibitors," he whispered wearily, straining to form the words._

_Sonic quirked an eye-ridge, but followed through nonetheless. He clicked off the golden rings around his wrists and put them in his right hand, wrapping his left around Shadow's midsection._

_The white-gold of his super form stopped dwindling at the speed it was and slowed to a crawl. He should've been cold, with the Chaos Energy leaving him, but Sonic was so close and still alight that he couldn't shiver if he tried._

_"Thank you," Shadow said, recalling Maria's dying wish. "For all the people down on that planet...give them the future they deserve."_

_"What?" Sonic blurted, eyes shooting wide open and full of bewilderment._

_"Sayonara, Sonic the Hedgehog..."_

_"Shadow-"_

_"Chaos..." he took a deep breath, "Control!"_

_And with a flash of white light, Sonic was gone._

Present-Shadow clung to Present-Sonic, burying his face in the mass of vibrant quills, shuddering and gasping for air, weak in the knees. Sonic, taken a bit aback by this, clutched him closer as well, rubbing circles on the small of his back with one hand and gently combing through his quills with the other.

Shadow bawled uncontrollably, unintentionally matting Sonic's individual spines together with his tears. He shook in the hero's grasp, and Sonic just tightened the embrace.

"I'm so sorry... Is there anything I can do to help?" Sonic asked, keeping his voice low, soft, and sympathetic.

Shadow belatedly managed to choke out, "Don't let go."

Sonic had no plans to, and he didn't. He pulled Shadow even closer somehow, and they stood there, holding each other.

The Blue Blur began to hum tunelessly against his mirror image's fur, continuing the lazy circles on his back, supporting him. Doing his absolute best to soothe the shaking genetic mutant.

The songbirds seemingly twittered along to the aimless hum, and Shadow felt his heartrate begin to gradually start trekking back down the dreadfully steep incline that led back to calmness. His sobs came further apart, his difficultly breathing flickered in and out of sight like the flame of candle being blown out, and he drew in full, deep breaths when it was completely gone. The quivering all but disappeared, to the point where he might've just looked a little chilly.

He stayed like that, face buried in Sonic's quills and tangled in his arms. It was pleasant, exhilarating almost, like a breath of fresh air after city smog. Shadow took a very deep inhale, and was greeted by a smell of seaspray, flower fields, and the wind. At first, he was surprised - how could he smell all that with his nose deep in the retreat of the world's hero's spines? And then, it came to him - it wasn't an outside smell. It was a  _Sonic_ smell.

Shadow thought he might be lightheaded. It was by far the loveliest thing he had ever laid metaphorical eyes on. He halfheartedly pried himself out of the royal blue mess, and met those stunning emeralds.

Sonic immediately noticed the glassiness of Shadow's eyes, how his cheeks were stained and tinted a light, dusty green. "You okay?" he murmured.

"I'm better," Shadow replied, just above a whisper.

They didn't separate. They just stood there, holding each other, eyes locked with no intention of looking away. It was like a blinking-allowed staring contest, and Sonic innerly laughed at that thought.

Shadow looked down for a second, then back up, relocking eyes with the cobalt hedgehog. "Sorry. I just...had to get that out. It's been in there for longer than healthy."

"Thank you for trusting me," Sonic said, repeating last-night-technically-early-morning-Shadow.

"Thank  _you_."


	3. III: DAYDREAMS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say eventual smut? I meant Sonic is desperate and falling way harder than Shadow.
> 
> Also, sorry for the recent mini-hiatus - I do intend to update this every other day when possible, but I got sick and wasn't able to write. Anyway, I finished this chapter, so here you go!

"Sonic, are you okay?" Tails inquired, looking up from the screen of the Miles Electric.

The hedgehog had been reading in his reserved poolside lawnchair at the Seashore Inn, book in his lap, but he was staring blankly at the page that he hadn't turned in eight minutes, in a daze. After Tails asked this, though, he looked up, shook his head, and said, "Oh, yeah. I'm fine, little buddy! Just thinking."

"Okay!" Tails chirped in response, eyes returning to his screen.

The hero of Mobius returned to his reading as quick as anything else he did, and finally flipped the page, getting back into the simple rhythm.

Five, ten minutes passed before the fox boy noticed that Sonic wasn't paying attention to his book once more. He was, again, not reading, now looking up at the sky-blanket of gray and white that had a few holes in it with an inattentive glaze over his saturated jade eyes.

"Sonic, are you sure you're alright?" Tails asked, slightly worried now.

Sonic repeated the action of shaking his head, replying, "Dude, I'm good! What's got you all worried?"

Tails furrowed his brow a bit. "You keep staring off at nothing."

"I'm  _fine_ , Tails, don't worry about it!" Sonic said, laughing it off as usual. 

"Okay, but you gotta stop doing that."

"I'll try."

They went back to their seperate activities, and Sonic managed to actually read for almost thirty minutes until-

"Did you feel that?" he asked, looking up from the page.

"Feel what?"

"Raindrop."

"No?"

Sonic slid his bookmark into place and closed the book to prevent any possible damage to the pristine pages. A peal of thunder rumbled in the distance, possibly a mile or two away offshore.

"Should we go in?" Tails said, turning the screen of his M.E. off.

Sonic pushed off his chair, replying, "Prob'ly. The storm sounds close."

Tails got up from his chair and followed Sonic through the automatic sliding glass doors of the hotel, up the stairs, and to Sonic's room. Tails usually left and returned to his workshop, being an independent young man and all, but with the storm so close and the chances of crashing the Tornado Mk. IV so high, it'd be best to stay with Sonic until it passed.

The hotel room was simple: bed, TV, tiny kitchenette, bathroom. There was a desk, which had two other books sitting atop it, and a closet in which the very few clothes Sonic ever wore resided as well. A chair was stowed in the corner nearest the bed with his favorite jacket tossed upon it. His guitar and speaker were leaned in another corner, with their wires draped together. The only necessities and other things that he needed, to be honest.

Sonic practically threw himself on the bed after kicking off his sneakers, and the off-white sheets were strewn about and partially on the floor. Tails simply took his shoes off and set them by the door, then sat in another spot on the bed, closer to the pillows.

They resumed what they were doing, and before long, the sky split open and rained down bucketfuls.

* * *

Shadow, with an almost-full cup of water in hand, startled when the lightening first struck. Luckily, he was right over the next plant he intended to water, so when the droplets spilled, they landed at their destination. He then properly distributed water to the rest of his small armada of succulents, which were arranged in a neat little makeshift flowerbed with all the pots in rows.

He plucked a cigarette from the pocket of his long unworn leather jacket that mostly just stored his nicotine addiction at this point and fished for a lighter in the other pocket. He found one, tested it, and was surprised to see that it still had some fluid in it.

He lit up and stepped out onto the terrace, leaving the lighter on the kitchen island. The rain poured out around the balcony, narrowly missing Shadow due to the small awning above him. The pitter-patter against the thin metal slab was a kind of calming noise, and the visuals of the water drops falling and slightly distorting the bright lights of the city was as satisfying as ever.

Very little hustle and bustle could be heard below as a result of the so-called poor weather. A lot of city people were scared of accidents and the such, so they stayed off the road and in their abodes. Shadow liked being outside in the rain because it was always so calm and he felt like he could take it slow for once.

He took another drag and exhaled, watching the smoke swirl and get sliced through by the raindrops. It was nice to be able to just breathe.

* * *

"Alright, Tails, see ya!" Sonic said, leaning against the half-open door.

Tails waved goodbye, already walking down the hall. "Bye, Sonic!"

The Blur shut the door after making sure Tails made it safely to the stairs-  _Of course he would, why are you worrying so much, man?_ \- and made sure it locked properly. He'd been having a little trouble with the lock lately, but he hadn't wanted to bother the hotel staff; they had enough on their hands anyway.

He was thankful that Tails had gone, along with the storm. Not in a rude way. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

Well, more specifically, his thoughts about Shadow - he simply could _not_ get the black hedgehog out of his mind. All those times that Tails had told him he was staring off into space, he had known. He was just lost in a recollection of the whirlwind of yesterday. Still was, if he was being honest with himself. 

Shadow had never been the really emotional type, even in their one-on-one escapades. So, to see him have a mental breakdown and willingly accept comfort from his 'arch-rival', Sonic was more than surprised.

He couldn't stop thinking about how Shadow virtually fell into his arms and clung so close to him that they were flush against one another. How he had let Sonic hold his hand the previous night. His _scent_.

Oh, Chaos, the way he smelled. It had always been a part of Mobian nature to be extremely aware of each other's scent, especially if you were attracted to someone. Sonic could ascertain the ingredients that made up Shadow's smell - cigarette smoke, rain, lavender, a hint of gasoline.

He thought he might be hooked on it. He pushed open the bathroom door that swung shut on it's old hinges seconds thereafter. Moving the shower curtain aside, he reached for the tap and turned the water on. He cranked the heat up and tested it before stripping and tossing his dirty socks and gloves aside.

Stepping into the pattering water, he ran his now bare hands through his quills, closed his eyes, and pictured that he was doing it to Shadow. The tangled and matted spines ruined the illusion practically nanoseconds in, because Shadow's quills were always soft when not bristled in aggravation and he took exquisite care of himself. Because Shadow didn't put off a shower for three days because he's 'fine, not dirty yet'. Because Shadow knew his way around his own body.

Sonic sighed. He really had to start watching his own back, huh? He opened his eyes and stared at the water running over his body. It smoothed down his constantly ruffled fur and slicked his skin.

He grabbed the bottle of the special made-for-quills shampoo and squeezed a healthy heaping into his hand, then applied it into his messy cobalt mop. While running through the motions, he returned to a recent fantasy of his.

_Sonic and Shadow were running alongside one another, racing to see who could get to the big tree overlooking the cliff first ("Last one to the tree's a faker!"). They were keeping time with one another, dirt flying up beneath their heels. It was neck-and-neck, with the two of them nearing the towering maple ever quicker, streaks of red and blue falling behind them._

_Sonic fell into the grass beside the tree first, though. Shadow let him win and sat beside him. They propped themselves against the trunk of the age-old tree and Sonic stared out over the coast, into the glittering waves, a small homesickness stirring inside him._

_Sun filtered through the leaves overhead, and a single ray fell over Shadow, glinting against his inhibitors. His eyes were swirling with thought, shining like molten gold in the warm afternoon light, and he gazed at Sonic lovingly. The other hedgehog returned the gesture, resting his arms on his pulled up knees._

_Sonic realized that Shadow wasn't wearing his gloves, and he marveled for a moment at the claws at the end of each fingertip. They looked incredibly sharp, like they could cut flesh in seconds, and were of glossy obsidian color._

_Neither knew which one leaned into the kiss first. Both knew they didn't want to seperate. Shadow pulled Sonic closer, tilting his head to the side to deepen the contact, hand pushing into his quills. Sonic wrapped his arms around the other's neck, and then they were pressed flush against each other, lips melding together._

_Sonic backed himself up, reluctantly separating from the other, quills splaying at the contact of the tree trunk, making room for Shadow to sit between his now spread legs. The striped agent moved into the space, pressing his lips against the hero's once again._

_Sonic boldly slid his hands downward, around the almost invisible curve of Shadow's hip, eliciting a groan into the kiss that Sonic wanted to laugh at. **Shadow? Being vulnerable? Puh-lease!**_

_Shadow slipped away from the kiss and pressed smaller, lighter kisses along Sonic's jaw until he reached his throat. T_ _he royal blue hedgehog gasped at the contact even though he had expected it._

_The alien went to work, Sonic murmuring his pleasures against his quills in a breathy voice._

Reveling in the idea, Sonic finished rinsing the soap from his quills and his hands drifted just a little lower than they should have. "Chaos...I can't-"

_"Revenge," Dream-Shadow whispered, sliding a knee up to the hot, gently pulsing spot between Dream-Sonic's spread legs._

"Ah-!"

_"Sh-Shadow..."_

_"What?" he chuckled darkly._

_"D-d-don't tease me like that..."_

_He furrowed his brow and smirked evilly, pressing a kiss to the corner of Sonic's mouth. "I'll take care of it. Just not as you'd want, of course."_

_"You always have to have the last lau- ha-aalf.... Ah..."_

_Another condescending snicker._

"I'm never gonna forgive myself..."

_Shadow trailed kisses up and down Sonic's chest, randomly selecting the intensity of each small contact. The larger contact, however, was Shadow's fingers pressing intently against Sonic's sheath, moving ever so slightly to receive gasps and small moans when he wanted to hear them._

"Mmm..."

_"You seem to be enjoying yourself."_

_"Shut up..."_

_"You like it. I know you do, or else you'd be stopping me."_

_"Hahh.. I ha- Aaate it when you're r-ri-hiiight..."_

_The pressing down below became a tad more insistent, and Sonic swore he could feel a finger sliding just beyond the threshold, as if Shadow was going to reach in and remove what he knew would come out on it's own._

"G-Haaah-ah-hh..."

_Shadow pressed a final kiss to Sonic's chest and moved back up to his neck, nipping gently._

_"Hm, do I feel something down there?"_

_"Shhhads...don-"_

_"I think I dooo~" he sang, biting his lip._

_"Ahh..."_

_"What kept it in hiding, huh? Am I gonna have to step my game up next time?" Shadow leaned in close enough to snag another small kiss before continuing the talk, "Are you not enjoying yourself?"_

_"I am..."_

_"Mmm...Maybe you're just playing hard to get..."_ _He ran his hand not quite against the throbbing flesh, but rather a very thin breadth away from it, not initiating but hinting at contact. "I guess I'll make it a two-player game."_

"Shadoooowww..."

_"If you keep dragging this out, I'll have to take your controller, Shadsy," Sonic chuckled, trying to get an edge on the other. Sure, he was already completely undone in Shadow's palm, but a little petty revenge between the two wasn't uncommon._

_"I don't think the console's even plugged in," he said, coupled with a sharp squeeze below._

_"Ghah! Be c-c-c-careful! That hurt a little!"_

_"A line thinner than your patience separates pain and pleasure."_

_Warmth began pooling in Sonic's gut._ _"He-ey!"_

_"You act like it's not true."_

_"It...i-isn't...?"_

_"It is."_

_Shadow kissed him again, cutting off a moan. He slid his tongue against the peach lips, silently asking for entrance. Sonic let him in with open arms...and legs..._ _and lips._

"Ahaha...don't let it come so soon, plea-he-hease..."

_Sonic nipped at Shadow's tongue childishly, who simply administered a slightly violent stroke downstairs to stop the teasing. It was efficient, but left its receiver wanting a little more._

_Shadow gasped into the kiss as Sonic dared to slip his hand against Shadow's own sheath, which elicited a chuckle around the tongue in his mouth from the other._

_"You're getting bold," the mutant teased when he pulled away at last._

_"And you're not?"_

_"Fair game."_

_"I thought we weren't playing?"_

_"It's less controllers, more hands-on."_

_"Good choice."_

"Mm, Shads..."

_Sonic spared a longing look into those crimson eyes that he once felt he might crumple under. They were hazy with lust now, a fitting look, and fixed upon the other's gaze._

_"If you keep looking at me like that, I-I might-"_

_"I know. I want you to," Shadow whispered hungrily, narrowing his eyes._

_"Not lo-ong now, then..."_

_"Delightful."_

"C'mon, c'm-ah-ha-han..."

 _Sonic felt near ready to burst. Shadow treated him much better than he thought he deserved, especially for something so sudden. His nerves were alight with electricity as Shadow slid his tongue against the tiny welts lining his neck. The other had been right. The line between pain and pleasure was incredibly thin, so much that his slightly blurred eyes could barely make the distinction between the two._  

_Shadow didn't give him even a single moment to rest and even try to think about the imaginary line, however, because he continued moving his hand, causing the pressure in Sonic's body to rise._

_"Sh-Sh-Sha-ha-dowww...I, I think-"_

_The alien lifted his head from the crook of Sonic's neck and met eyes with him. "Do you?"_

_"Y-Yeah."_

_"Good..."_

"I, I, I'm gonna-"

_"Shads, I'm-" Sonic strained out, pitch raising a bit._

_"Let it out," Shadow said, right against his ear, voice low and husky._

_Sonic choked out a string of moans before his voice couldn't take it anymore and he was left gasping. Shadow relished in the results spilling onto his hand, grinning and applying more kisses to the already abused flesh on Sonic's neck._

_"I love you."_

Sonic leaned against the wall of the shower, breathing raggedly and letting the water rinse him free of his release. He hadn't ever fully finished that scene he had conjured up. Doing so was satisfying, but not as much as what he did because of it. 

His mind was muddled still, coping with the stun of the orgasm and fading into the afterglow. His legs were more or less putty, so he eased down to the floor and sat. He ran his hands through his quills again. They felt a little more like Shadow's now.

"Huh... Maybe I don't regret it so much after all," he mumbled to himself.


	4. IV: LATE-NIGHT VISIT

Three sharp raps to the door of the apartment startled Shadow. He was out on the balcony as had become habit over the past couple days, and while leaning against the railing, the knocking sounded.

It was rather loud, and he hadn't been expecting anyone. He snuffed out the cigarette in his hand against his palm and slipped it's half-finished form into one of the rounded docks of the glass ashtray on the kitchen counter.

Another set of knocks came and he said hastily, "Coming, coming."

He unlocked the door without even thinking to look through the peephole and see who it was, and when he practically threw it half-open, he was surprised to see Sonic standing in the hall, fidgeting with the cuff of his glove.

"Shadow! Oh, buddy, I'm so glad to see you!" the hedgehog exclaimed, stepping into the doorway and throwing his arms around Shadow, effectively pulling him into a tight hug.

Shadow, still a little stunned, returned the gesture and remarked, chuckling, "You say that like I'm the one showing up at your house unannounced at eleven PM."

"Sorry, sorry," he said, stepping away. "You haven't answered my texts all day, and you didn't answer the couple times I called, and I got really worried, and I asked Rouge if she had talked to you and she said no, and then she tried to call you but you didn't answer that either-"

Shadow quirked his eyes-ridges at hearing this. Not in questioning, but rather in concern. His phone had been off all day because he was busy working on his motorcycle in the garage most of the day, and the fact that Sonic got so worried that he came to his apartment this late at night... Shadow felt something bloom deep inside his chest, something dainty and pretty unfurling itself in a grand reveal.

"My phone has been off. I was working on my bike. I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to cause so much havoc," he replied to Sonic's frantic explaining.

"I'm just glad you're okay. Not that you wouldn't be able to handle yourself, I just...I care about you, dude," Sonic said, much more nonchalant and relaxed now, leaning against the door frame.

"Would you like to come in?" Shadow offered, stepping aside and moving his arm in a welcoming gesture. "It's not much, but you came all the way over here to Central from Station Square, and I figure you might wanna sit down for a bit or get something to drink."

Sonic laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah!" He stepped into the four-room suite that really couldn't be considered one while Shadow closed and relocked the door behind him.

"Oh my gosh! Look at all your little plants!" Sonic exclaimed suddenly, rushing over to his assortment of succulents.

Shadow felt the blush creep into his face as Sonic surveyed his little armada. No one but Rouge and Maria had understood or even _known_ his love for botany. "Uh, yes. I enjoy gardening, but this is all I can do with my current living situation."

"That's so cute-!" he paused, and looked at Shadow with a brow raised. "Are you okay? Your cheeks are a little green."

"Sonic..."

"Are you sick? Do I need to-?"

"Sonic."

"Shadow, do I need to take care of you?"

"Sonic!"

Said hero shrunk back a tad, still hovering over his arrangement of plants. "Yeah?"

Shadow's entire muzzle was dusted lime green now. A small tint was beginning to show in the tips of his ears. "I am not ill."

"What's wrong then?" Sonic asked, full attention on him now though he still stood in front of the flower bed.

Through gritted teeth, Shadow muttered, "I'm blushing."

"What did you say? I can't unde-"

"I'm blushing, Sonic!" he shouted, but not angrily. He was just kind of embarrassed. His ears and face were bright with the blush and it had even managed to produce a strange phosphoresence as Black Arms blood often did.

"Oh," was all Sonic blurted. For a moment or two, there was silence between them. It was stuffy and uncomfortable, especially with the heat rising inside him, so Shadow stomped out onto the terrace and buried his face in his crossed arms on the railing.

He heard Sonic come onto the metal flooring of the balcony. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything. I just thought that...I dunno, something."

"You've never seen me blush before," Shadow grumbles around his arms, "so you didn't expect it. That's fine. I'm sorry for acting out."

"Don't worry about it, Shads. But you're right. I've never seen you all flustered, like, you didn't even blush the other day when you had that breakdown! I just wouldn't have expected it to be green and light up..." Sonic conceded, leaning his elbows against the bannister next to Shadow, back facing the open night.

"It's because of my DNA," Shadow explained, still murmuring around his arms.

"Huh?"

Shadow brought his head up so his face wasn't buried anymore, resting his chin on his pillowed limbs. He elaborated, "Due to being half Black Arms, more directly having Black Doom's blood, it is different. Most of the species, like Oaks, Assassins, and Hawks, have a darker shade of green for color and it produces a very mellow, dull phosphorus. However, higher up members of the Armada, like Doom, me, and other indirect offspring, have a more lime-ish color about our blood. And, as you mentioned, it is extremely luminescent."

"Oh. That makes more sense," Sonic breathed quietly, looking at Shadow.

His eyes were half-focused on the dazzling nightlights dancing about in the city, but the remaining half of his attention was on Sonic. The light was seemingly reflected off of his bright azure quills, producing splotches of yellows, pinks, and whites on the back of his head. His ears flicked every so often, when a car honked loudly or someone yelled at the top of their lungs. The golden light from the lamp Shadow had turned on earlier sparkled in his half-lidded emerald eyes, gleaming like all the treasure Rouge held so dear.

Shadow didn't expect to label the scene perfect, but it felt right. Being with Sonic felt right.

"Hey, Shadster?"

"Mm?"

"Can I tell you something? I'm trusting you not to speak on it."

"Of course," he replied. Sonic had confided in him lately. Shadow had confided in him as well. Trust was a shaky bridge, but the destination was worth it.

"I've been thinking about a lot of stuff lately. About how at some point, we went from fighting and being enemies to being rivals, but still caring about each other to some degree. How rivals turned into having friendly races where the only thing the loser had to deal with was a little dent in his pride. How all those brutal fights where we almost killed each other turned into good natured sparring for the sake of fun. Can you imagine that? We went from tearing at each other's throats to rolling around in the dirt for fun.  _Fun_.

"About how friendly runs and brawls turned into us being really close. We've went cloud watching. Star spotting. We've texted each other in the middle of the night for the hell of it. We've laughed and cried and, Chaos, we've even passed out holding hands!"

Sonic laughed. It was full and luscious, and it bubbled from deep inside. That swell deep inside Shadow, however, was unfurling some more, spreading its pretty petals in an attempt to breathe. Maybe it had always been there, but Shadow had never let enough light in for it to come to life. 

_That isn't any way to handle a flower, I should be ashamed-_

"I've been thinking about you and me. What are we to one another?" Sonic finished, angling his head towards Shadow. Now all the colors from the outside world danced upon his eyes as well. He wanted to cry and tell him how gorgeous he found him.

"You're a lot of things to me, Sonic. I'd think of you as my best friend, I suppose, if that's any way to word it. More than that at the same time. You've been there for me through the lot of it, even some of my absolute worst moments, and I'm glad you were. I wouldn't be who I was today without you," Shadow answered, articulating his words carefully. Inaccuracy was like a sin to him.

Sonic was the one blushing now. _More than that, more than that, more than just friends?_ A reddish-pink settled upon his small snout and his mouth hung agape about a half-inch.

_-the bullet was no bigger-_

"You're so poetic, Shadow. I don't think that what I want to say could even meet what you just said," he admitted, snickering a little to lighten the mood. It felt a little tense. Shadow became acutely aware in that moment how close to each other they were standing.

"You have a way with words that I like," Shadow confessed softly. "To some it comes off as rude and brash but I find it charming. You have a certain boyish innocence about you."

 _Innocence. If only you knew, Shad._ His cheeks were now intense with red, and Shadow couldn't help but think,  _I did that._

"Welllll..." Sonic began, twisting his face up in thought. "I guess, no, no, I  _know_ , I think of you as more than a friend. More than a best friend even. But I'm not sure what it is. But I really like you, I care about you, Chaos, dare I say that I  _love_ you."

Shadow's heart fluttered and he blushed too. The flower inside him was suddenly in full bloom, bursting at the seams with new life, fruitful and bright. If a butterfly wanted a sip, he'd consider letting them in for a glass or two.

"Sonic, I, I-"

"I know. You don't feel the same way. I know I shouldn't have said all that, I'm so du-"

"Sonic-"

"I'm sorry, I never should've said anythi-"

"Sonic," Shadow sighed, taking him by the shoulders and looking into his eyes. They were sad and lonely, wracked with anxiety and indecisiveness. "I...I love you too."

Sonic's eyes went wide and he grinned giddily. He wrapped his arms around Shadow's midsection rather suddenly, and picked him up and twirled him around. This left Shadow effectively stunned, but he sort of liked it. It felt right. Sonic's hands on him had felt _really right_ lately.

When Sonic finally came down from his sudden high, he placed Shadow gently back on the terrace floor as if dropping him a little harshly would've hurt him. He'd fallen from millions of miles above the planet and survived with only minor injuries as well. A drop from an inch or two above the ground would barely be felt.

"Sorry, I just... I'm really excited!" Sonic smiled, spinning himself around on one foot. Not exactly a pirouette; but if he tried a little harder, he might manage.

Shadow felt a grin crack his own features, too. It wasn't the usual condescending smirk that often graced his face, but rather one of elation and love.

"Of all the things in the world I never thought would happen, Shadow the Hedgehog saying that he loved me back was really at the tip-top of the list," Sonic said, putting his hands on his hips and taking a deep breath.

Shadow leaned back against the railing the way that Sonic had a few minutes ago, elbows on the railing and back facing the city. "Likewise, but of course, there are differences."

"Yeah. There always is," he replied, resuming the same posture against the bannister. Their quills were touching, arms barely an inch apart.

Someone down on the asphalt started yelling about something, and someone started yelling back, and then there seemed to be an entire fight going on below. 

"Do you wanna go in?" Shadow asked, pushing off the bannister and standing in the doorway back to the kitchenette.

"Yeah. That's kinda annoying down there. To be honest, I don't understand how you live with it!" Sonic answered, joining him.

"Neither do I."

They went inside together, sat across from one another at the kitchen counter, and it was comfortably quiet.

"Would you like something to drink? I've been a terrible host so far," Shadow said, drumming his fingers against the fake marble and meeting Sonic's eyes.

"Uh, sure! And don't worry about it, I don't mind. It's not like I'm dying of dehydration or anything," he chuckled in response.

The agent tugged open the refrigerator, revealing very few items. "Uh... I don't have much, but... There's water, grape soda, some leftover sweet tea-"

"Sweet tea?" Sonic interjected, eyes lighting up. "How sweet?"

"Two sips and you've got diabetes."

"Perfect!" he cackled victoriusly and leaned back in the stool, pumping a fist into the air.

Shadow exhaled out of his nose, almost like a laugh, but it was hard to say. He pulled the three-quarters-empty jug from the fridge shelf and grabbed a glass. He filled it as close to the brim that he could without potentially spilling it on the trip of four steps back to the other counter, then returned the container to its spot.

He served Sonic the sweet tea and sat back on his own barstool. The cobalt hedgehog greedily gulped down the majority of the drink before setting the glass back on the white-gray counter. He wiped his mouth on the back of his gloved hand and made a loud sound that Shadow presumed represented refreshment or enjoyment.

"Whew! That's some of the best tea I've ever had! So sweet!" Sonic cajoled, waving around his arms for emphasis.

Shadow offered a closed mouth smile before saying, "I'm glad you like it. I made it myself."

Sonic up-ended the rest of the drink into his mouth. He slammed the glass down, fortunately not hard enough to break it, and responded, "You have got to tell me how you get it this sweet."

Thunder rumbled somewhere in the sky, like a formidable enemy threatening to pounce at any second. Shadow didn't like the feeling of foreboding rising within him. The flower in his chest curled into itself, not in lack of interest but rather in terror.

He avoided showing any signs of weakness, though. "I'll just show you. I need to make some more anyway. Would you like the last glass?"

Sonic nodded enthusiastically, handing him the glass in which it was served. Shadow returned to the fridge, wrenched it open, and emptied the jug into Sonic's previously empty glass. He slid it across the counter to him and remarked, "If you wanna see, I'd recommend coming over here."

Sonic took hold of the newly poured tea and scurried around the other end of the counter to stand next to Shadow.

Said hedgehog was searching for the small box of teabags, in the lowest shelf of the cupboard above the stove. He cursed quietly and lifted himself onto the counter, hoping that he might have put it in the back or something of a similar scenario.

Sonic, sipping his drink, was evidently checking Shadow out. The odd angle gave him a view that he wasn't exactly complaining about, in all honestly.

Shadow, standing on the fake granite surface, huffed and slammed the cabinet door shut. He moved to the next, rummaged through it, didn't find what he was looking for, and repeated this process with the rest of his cupboards. At the far end of the kitchenette, really only a few paces, he slammed the final door and grumbled something to himself as he turned around. Sonic averted his eyes away from where he had been looking and up to meet Shadow's gaze.

"Any luck?" he asked from around the rim of his cup.

"No. I'm all out, somehow. I don't know how I'd forget to grab teabags at the store," Shadow sighed, leaping down from the counter. "Do you want to come with me to the store so I can grab some? I might get a few other things I need too."

"No problem-o," Sonic replied, shooting Shadow a pair a finger guns.

Shadow just shook his head and chuckle-sighed, rounding the counter and grabbing his shoes. Sonic had still been wearing his shoes, so he just accompanied Shadow to the door.

The genetic mutant fished around in the pockets of a plain black leather jacket hanging from his otherwise desolate coatrack as the hero rocked back and forth on his heels.

Shadow removed a ring of keys. There were less keys on it than Sonic expected, only six or seven. He knew Shadow was a busy guy, and one of the best GUN agents in all of the United Federation, and he just figured that important people had a lot of keys. The ebony hedgehog pulled a specific, dull gold key from amongst the others and wrenched open the apartment door, waving the hand with the key ring in it for Sonic to exit.

He did so, and as Shadow pulled the door shut and locked it, Sonic realized how dingy the building really was. Shadow's apartment had a certain air about it, a warmth and familiarity that had settled into even the deepest, darkest cracks. The hallway, which Sonic had not at all paid attention to on the way up, had the distinct smell of mold and mildew. The shoddy potted trees that were lined along the walls with peeling seafoam green paint were wilted and graying. The fluorescents overhead were not quite dim, but certainly not bright enough to be in perfect working order, and most of them were flickering on and off and to different lighting levels every few moments. A weathered puke green runner ran along the middle of the hall, avoiding the small indents of the doors and turning the hall on either side, threads along the outer seam fraying. Cracked beige linoleum was the flooring beneath the old carpet, and Sonic shuddered as he saw a strange bug crawl into one of the crevices.

They padded down the hall, to the right, where the elevator and stairs were. Shadow pressed the call button, summoning the cart to them from wherever it was. They waited in silence, hand in hand.

It sounded like an argument was going on a few doors down the hall from Shadow's, to the left, and the hedgehogs caught "Get the fuck out of my apartment!" and "You crazy bitch-!" and other obscenities being shot back and forth. The door to apartment 87 was yanked open and a lime-green hedgehog in a black leather jacket with flames on the arms was thrown out of the open doorway. He stumbled for a moment, combat boots scuffing the runner, and then caught himself. Someone from beyond the threshold voiced her displeasure with Scourge and slammed the door with a resounding  _bang!_  as he ran his hands through his quills. 

He stormed away from the door, towards them, and stopped promptly next to them. He crossed his arms, and Sonic sensed a grim air about him.

"Evening, Scourge," Shadow said, not even looking away from the elevator doors.

The green hedgehog brought his head up and looked at Shadow. "Hey, Shad."

"Fighting with Fiona again, I presume?" he asked with a hint of humor, eyes still fixated on the elevator door. Sonic gripped his hand a little tighter.

"Yeah," Scourge snickered through his nose. "She's always yelling at me about something. Threw me out again."

"What happened, if you dont mind me asking?" Shadow only now let his gaze meet Scourge's. He administered a reassuring squeeze to Sonic's hand.

"Something about shit that happened almost four years ago. She's saying something about some girl I don't even know. I swear, man, she's crazy!"

The elevator made a delightful little  _ding!_ and the doors reeled open with a squeak. The trio of hedgehogs stepped inside, and Shadow inquired Scourge about which floor he was going to. Ironically enough, he, too, was descending to the lobby. Shadow pressed the button marked 'L' as the doors shut and the car started moving.

"How are you besides this ordeal?" Shadow questioned, attempting to make small talk.

Scourge rubbed the back of his neck around his popped collar. "Eh, I'm okay. You?"

"I'm good."

"Who's Blue over here? Hasn't said a word all night."

"Oh," Shadow mumbled, looking at the aforementioned hedgehog whose hand he still held. His eyes read  _introduce yourself_.

"Uh, hi. I'm Sonic," he told Scourge awkwardly. It felt a little strange for someone to not immediately recognize him and ask for an autograph or picture.

"Cool. As you already know, I'm Scourge," the other said, offering a hand for shaking. His nails were painted black.

Sonic allowed himself to shake Scourge's hand with his own free one, but he felt peculiarly uneasy around this guy. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt like he knew him.

 _I've probably just seen him around_ , Sonic told himself. He felt his stomach lurch a tiny bit when the elevator jolted to a stop and the doors reeled back open. They all happened to be leaving the complex - for different reasons, however - and accompanied one another through the creaky glass revolving door.

They went in opposite directions when they hit the pavement, though. Scourge departed to the right and across the street, probably to the nearby parking garage where his shabby '39 Yottoroka awaited his return in the dim, off-white light. The dynamic duo turned left, stating on the sidewalk, in the direction of the nearest general store at which Shadow was a regular customer.

The distant thunder pealed once more, yet closer and louder. They might make it back before the storm, they might not. They walked briskly, a habit for both of them that they easily kept up, and reached the 24/7 grocery store at the turn of the half-hour.

Shadow didn't bother with a cart or basket, as he insisted he could carry it all by hand. He was only grabbing a few things after all. He instinctively took up the lead, heading to an aisle on the far side of the store with Sonic in tow. 

The pair was happy the store was empty, but for different reasons. Shadow was glad of the deserted state of the building because it would be a quick job, in and out. Sonic was glad that there were only a handful of people in the store because he didn't want to be crowded with fans and asked for the regular recipe of autographs and pictures.

By the time they were at the register, it was only eleven forty. The cashier was a human girl no older than sixteen with vibrant gray eyes and short chestnut colored hair.

"Hello, Shadow!" she chirped, tapping away at the machine in front of her. "Is this all?"

"Yes," he replied, with a ring card already in hand. Sonic idled next to him, fiddling with the cuffs of his gloves.

"That'll be thirty rings!"

He swiped the card, input his PIN, and pressed a few more buttons that Sonic didn't pay attention to. The girl quickly bagged the four items and handed them to Shadow, who murmured his thanks and went for the door. Sonic trailed behind him for a moment before catching up and settling beside the alien.

Thunder growled overhead as they started their walk back to the complex, and Sonic remarked, "We might not make it back."

Shadow replied, "Rain doesn't bother me."

"I can't say I'm its biggest fan."

"To each their own."

They were quiet as they walked shoulder to shoulder on the concrete. As they pushed through the revolving doors and into the desolate (save for the desk attendant) lobby, the thunder sounded off again and the first pattering quickly turned into a downpour. Sonic grimaced; Shadow furrowed his brow.

"Glad we made it," Sonic announced as they boarded the elevator.

"Me too," Shadow said, entering the floor number.

The ride up was silent, but not uncomfortably so. They departed the cab and returned to Shadow's apartment, which felt welcoming in spite of where it was. 

The warm golden light from a floor lamp illuminated the apartment, and Sonic felt like he had lived here his whole life when he hadn't even seen more than the kitchen, living room, and balcony. Shadow deposited his keys in the jacket pocket once more, withdrew his lighter, and set the bag from the store on the kitchen counter. He snagged the leftover cig from the ashtray and stepped out onto the balcony. Sonic followed him.

The cigarette hung from between his dark lips, lighter poised to bring about a flame, other hand drew up to prevent outside forces from extinguishing the light.

He flicked the flint, and the lighter drew out a small orange fire, but Sonic pulled it away from the cigarette, still in Shadow's hand. "That's really bad for you."

Shadow looked a little surprised. He removed the cig from his mouth with his free hand. "Sonic, I'm virtually immortal. This only makes my breath smell bad, and I can brush my teeth just like everyone else on this planet can."

Sonic didn't let go of the lighter, instead furrowed his brow. "Yeah, but..."

"I'm addicted. I can't help it."

Sonic frowned and said, "Of course you can. Smoking isn't doing anything for you. Just wasting your money and making you stink."

"You think I smell bad?" He sounded a little hurt.

"No, I-" he sighed, and fully wrenched the lighter away from Shadow, but still kept his hand in his own. "No. You said it made your breath stink. I don't know, it's just not good. You shouldn't smoke."

Shadow pulled his lips into a thin line. After a moment, he replied with a sigh, "Okay." He glanced down at the half-finished cigarette between his fingers. "Just this last one?"

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "No."

"But-"

"No buts, Shadow. You have to quit. I know you want it, but you can't have it," he justified, wagging a finger in a display of denial.

Shadow frowned now. "I'll suffer withdrawal if I quit without any dwindling off of it and you know it."

"Yeah, but if you try and go slowly, you'll never stop. I know you, you're stubborn," Sonic explained. "Besides, how many can you have a day?"

"Uh...around eight?" Shadow winced.

"Shadow!" he flicked his arm. "No wonder you're addicted!"

Shadow crossed his arms, "It's not that bad. That's not even a pack."

"It's still bad. I know you really want it, but you gotta stop!"

"Fine," Shadow sneered, invading Sonic's personal space. Sonic's heart hammered in his chest; they were only a few centimeters apart. "I'll get something else I want, then."

He grabbed Sonic by the hips, but not forcefully or to cause pain, and planted his lips upon the hero's own. His eyes shot wide open as Shadow did this, as it was completely unexpected, albeit welcomed when he was over the intial shock.

He was sure he was dreaming while it happened; it felt so surreal. It felt so  _good_. It was almost just as he imagined, except Shadow was less intense and seemed a bit more on the  wary side.

Sonic tilted his head and sluggishly wrapped his arms around Shadow's neck, deepening the kiss. Shadow was no longer worried, delighted at Sonic's approval, and smirked into the contact.

It indeed felt like a dream, to good to be true, but Sonic pinched his hand and felt it, so he came to the thrilling conclusion that this was almost certainly reality.

They slipped against each other, lips melding together, lost in the sudden moment.

Sonic had to pull away for air after a minute, though. He gasped as the oxygen cascaded into his tingling lungs, and as Shadow stared intently into his eyes with burning rubies.

"That was...unexpected," Sonic commented with a dreamy tone.

Shadow grinned in turn, something full of desire and attraction. "You're something much better to be addicted to than cigarettes."


	5. V: SLEEPOVER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm going to update this every other day!  
> Me: Proceeds to put off writing another chapter for over three days
> 
> Sorry about that :( I just tend to get finnicky with my schedule. This might be put on a hiatus of some sort if something that may happen in my life happens, so I just wanted to warn you lovely readers in advance.
> 
> But also, happy late birthday to SA2 and happy on-time birthday to Sonic! Almost thirty years. Wow. I might write a little birthday oneshot separately.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

That night, Sonic insisted he stay over. A lot had happened between them in such a short amount of time: they had held hands a few times, they had held each, and the perfect cherry on top - they had kissed! Sonic wanted to spend as much time as he could with Shadow before the hedgehog had to haul himself back to the GUN HQ.

Shadow had reminded him that it was still only Thursday night, and that Friday, Saturday,  _and_ Sunday (or at least Sunday morning) were perfectly reasonable times to hang out. Sonic had only said that it was basically already Friday, so why not start early?

Shadow had agreed, though not after a good twenty minutes of convincing and being essentially begged. In all honesty, he didn't mind much from the get-go, he just found Sonic's persistant nagging amusing.

"But the one question is, where will you sleep?" Shadow questioned earnestly. For once, he wasn't plotting to do something to screw with the other hedgehog.

"Well, I could always sleep with you," Sonic replied, shrugging. Shadow's muzzle dusted green and he tensed a bit. "Sorry, Shad! If you're not comfortable with that, I can always just sleep on the couch or something-"

"No, no, I just didn't expect that," Shadow chuckled. "You're often very forward."

Sonic laughed, though he was a little flustered by this. "I wasn't-! I didn't mean like that, dude!"

"Well, you tend to be a bit of a flirt."

"I know."

"Anyway...we can't just sit here drinking tea all night 'til our arteries clog with sugar. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you _have_ to do up here anyways?" Sonic asked, downing the last of his drink. He tipped the glass upside down, the last few drops trickling down into his open mouth.

"Not much. I have some movies, mostly old thrillers and the such. There's my record player, and I might be able to dig up my old rock albums from three or four years ago if you'd like. Books, but I admit that I tend to read utter trash."

"Trash? What do you mean by that?"

"Uhh..."

"Do you mean the weird lovey-dovey crap?"

Shadow averted his eyes as he took a long, drawn-out sip of his tea. When he finally swallowed, he murmured around the rim, "Perhaps."

"Holy Chaos!" Sonic bellowed, laughing with an occasional snort. "I can't believe this!"

Shadow blushed again. "Sonic, don't make fun of me. I don't make fun of you for not being able to pay attention to one thing for more than ten minutes."

Sonic made a few choked sounds, banging his fist on the table. The noises he made sounded like what text-to-speech would read off from someone smashing their face against their keyboard repeatedly. "I just- I can't- Ohhhh my god...!" He had tears brimming the corners of his eyes now. "I can just picture you- sitting in this little suede armchair, by a fireplace... With some trashy romance novel in your hands- little reading glasses, drinking tea or something. Oh my god. I can't-" He continued making the strange noises from before.

Shadow grimaced at the idea of needing glasses with his 20/20 vision. But the idea of curling up by a fire with a good book and some tea didn't sound unappetizing at all. "Sonic, I can't believe you. How could you say that. Glasses? Really?"

This only made him laugh harder. He was straining to breathe and convulsing a little. His ribs ached from laughing, and his cheeks hurt from smiling, but it was simply hilarious to him!

Shadow gulped down the last of his tea and sighed. He couldn't really find the humor in it all, but the utter belly laughter Sonic was emitting was so warm and genuine; it filled some small, secret void inside him that he hadn't known existed. He felt a smile creep onto his lips, and he let it bloom into a toothy grin. He almost wanted to laugh along with the hero.

Sonic began to finally calm down, wiping at his tears of joy, laughter subsiding to breathless huffs. He looked up at Shadow, who was just gazing somewhat absently at him in this display of honest, unrivaled affection, leaning against his own hand.

Sonic's eyes went wide. "You can smile?! Like, a for real smile? Dude!!!"

Shadow covered his face as he chuckled. "Of course I can. I'm only fifty-five percent alien, Sonic."

Sonic made a noise akin to a squeal. "It's so cute! I'm gonna cry!"

"Not again..."

"No! No! It's just so... It's just so...precious. Chaos."

"You sure a have a way with words, hedgehog. I still haven't finished my list of things to do, however."

"Ooh. What else is there?" Sonic perked up further at the mention of something to occupy himself.

"This might seem a little odd coming from me, but I do have a gaming console. I haven't used it in almost a year, though, so its had its time to to gather dust."

"I never expected you to play video games! What do you got? What platform?"

"I have a few racing games, couple adventures. A shooter older than the whole planet. Nothing too exciting, mostly from my teen days."

"Yeouch. That old? Can't imagine the titles. Probably like Blackout 2 or something!" he joked.

Shadow didn't know that game, but chuckled anyway. "Maybe."

"Let's check 'em out!" he said, shooting up from his barstool excitedly.

"Glasses first," Shadow insisted, taking the two cups and placing them in the sink with less haste than expected of him.

Sonic nearly catapulted over the old, creaky sofa but landed squarely on the left cushion with a strain of springs. Shadow calmly walked around the furniture and kneeled in front of his TV stand, pulling something from within the darkness of its shelves.

Sonic instantly recognized the age-old console. It had been around twenty years before his birth and were still selling that very day. "Yesssss!! GameCube!!" he yelled, pumping his fists in the air. He chanted the name of the almighty console as Shadow plugged it in with little to no struggle.

The ebony agent turned on his television and the console before plopping on the middle cushion, next to Sonic. Controller in hands,

_-Less controllers, more hands on-_

he said, "There's probably already a disc in it, so I'll just let it roll."

"Alright!"

The soft whirring of the machine was rhythmic compared to the now calming bustle outside on the streets. Lights still blared albeit filtered by the shut blinds and drawn curtains of the apartment.

Within a moment or two, the title card of a game called "Chaos Rising" appeared onscreen. The letters were written in a bulky, blue-green font. A wrecked beach stood in as the background, with chairs broken and lifeguard stands crippled. The sky brewed with a storm not much unlike the one that had stopped less than a half hour ago, lightening crackling on the horizon. Ominous music rumbled from the speakers at a low volume.

Sonic lit up and pointed at the flatscreen, hopping up in and down in his seat. "I voiced the main character in this! It was based on what happened to Station Square with Perfect Chaos!"

"Perfect...Chaos? Like the deity?"

"Yeah! You don't know? I've never told you that one?"

"I don't believe you have," Shadow said as he pressed the start button, dark waves washing over the screen left to right as a transition. A menu was presented with a similar backdrop, now with a blond boy standing on the ravished shore, donning a blue shirt and black swim trunks. The same music played. The options were "Story," "Select," and "Settings."

"Ooh, can I play? I'll tell you the story as I go through!"

Shadow handed him the controller. "You're gonna have to make a new file."

Sonic took hold of the controller and slumped back in his seat, legs pulled up and controller between them. He worked the buttons and sticks like they were nothing.

"So, a year and a half before I met you, I was running around Station Square at night, hopping rooftops. Then, I saw a buncha cop cars fly past, headed for the park. I followed 'em, of course. When we got there, there was this watery guy with bright green eyes - Chaos, in their least developed form asides from a puddle. So, the police try to shoot them, but it was useless. He just absorbed the shells 'n spit 'em right back out! I intervene, manage to land a few hits on 'em. The old one-two. They escape to the sewers, where I most  _definitely_ wasn't following, so me and the cops withdrew."

Shadow nodded, humming in acknowledgment. Sonic was skipping cutscenes to get to the gameplay, which was much more exciting to him.

"Next day, I'm chilling by the pool at the Inn, like usual. But I see a little red plane in the distance barreling towards the sand, and who do I know that has a red plane? Tails! By the way, I was fourteen and he was ten at the time. So, I notice that he crashes so I get all worried because he's my little brother. I run all the way around the beach, hopping from tiny just offshore island to tiny just offshore island. I almost get eaten by a whale in the process. But I do find Tails, and I help him back to the hotel. He isn't really hurt or whatever, but I'm still being all worried.

I ask him what happened, and he said it was just a little accident. This was before he was like a total master pilot, more during the process. He got a lot better over the next year. He's okay, but there's talk of some Chaos Emeralds and Eggman, and he has to get the Tornado back to his place in the ruins. So we go there, and when I meet him in the clearing - I went by train, he went by Tornado - guess who's there? Eggman! He fights me, I win. But he was the one who unleashed Chaos! What a creep..."

Sonic finished the level with a perfect score. He skipped the following cutscene.

"So a bunch of stuff happens, still all kinda hazy, but we went through Windy Valley and the Casino down by the Inn. Got into some gross stuff. Oh, man, I ran into Amy at some point too. She was being chased by this robot and made me go to Twinkle Park. She wanted to go and only couples get in free, so she convinced the guy at the ticket booth we were dating. It was terrible. But yeah, that happened. We ran into Knuckles, who got tricked by Eggman again, I think? This was before we were really good friends."

"You two still do butt heads often times."

"Yeah, but I love the big guy in the straightest way possible. Him and Rouge still got a thing going, right?" He passed another level with an outstanding score.

"Last time I heard."

"Yeah, they go together pretty good. Anyways, so Chaos. Eggman and I were fighting for the Emeralds. Chaos was getting hyped up. Oh, Tikal! Dude, she was this echidna girl, sixteen, right? She was a ghost! Same tribe as Knux and shit. She like, helped us out. It was really cool of her. I still think about her sometimes. She was nice, talked really formal, kinda like you."

Shadow snickered while Sonic fought a large enemy onscreen in the form of the blond boy.

"So Eggman had this big ass flying fortress. I think you got to see it on your adventures of self-discovery? It was the head of the Eggman Fleet. Like an airborne version of one of those big battleships. So we board it and fight him and we win again. A lot of stuff was going on, so sorry if I skip anything. I don't remember a lot of it too.

But Amy befriended this robot not too unlike Omega, still part of the E series. His name was Gamma. I forget what happened to him, but he's not around anymore as far as I know. Uhhhm... What next, what next...? I think I might be skipping around and stuff. Sorry. But like, I'm just gonna keep going."

Shadow kept listening to the story while somewhat keeping up with what was onscreen. Sonic painted the story as underwhelming, but Shadow could barely grasp how exciting it could've been in the moment. 

Twelve stages and four bosses had come and gone with ease and more or less perfect scores.

"Oh, man, we're getting to the good part in both cases. So, Chaos manages to get ahold of all the Emeralds or whatever, and they transform. They were already wack as all hell before, but in the heart of Station Square, they transform into this fucking giant lizard. They level like three blocks where they stood. Sixty stories or more tall. So much water. It was everywhere. The whole city was flooded. Twinkle Park was destroyed. So many people were killed. I turned Super, because that was the only thing I really could do, and I beat their ass. It was really hard for like two hours because I couldn't figure out how to hit this weird thing on top of their head directly. It was like, their weakspot.

Also, I feel like I should mention that their color scheme was uncanny, dude. Their eyes were the same color as mine down to the little darker flecks. They had this weird armor that wasn't made of water and was more like a hide, and it was a little darker than my fur, but it was still scary how close they resembled me."

"They remind me of the Biolizard. Also, this might seem off topic, but I think that Bio may have been created in inspiration of Perfect Chaos, the murals on the ziggurat walls. It's still hazy, all the specific things from the ARK. But I remember that I was based on the representation of the Chaos Guardian," Shadow interjected politely, looking at the hedgehog.

Sonic paused the second to last level. "What?!"

"Yes...?"

"Dude.  _I'm_ the Chaos Guardian."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah man. That's crazy!" He unpaused and kept playing. "But like, I had to do some crazy ass shit to beat Chaos. I nearly drowned like a bajillion times. I had to eventually do this thing where I like dove underwater and swam up through their neck and got spat out of their mouth so I could land an attack on the, uh, weird thing on their head. It was green, too. Green is like, my least favorite color ever since."

"Oh. Green is one of my favorites."

"That's cool, man! Preferences, everybody's got 'em. Mine's red, probably obvious though."

He beat the final level surprisingly quick and skipped the cutscene as he had been doing the whole game.

"It took me like seven hours to kill them, and I still felt really bad afterwards. I had swallowed a lot of water, saltwater by the way. I was dehydrated, soaked, exhausted, and had been awake for like a whole day. I passed out on the roof of a skyscraper that wasn't too busted up like a block away from the scene. I wanted to make sure everyone was safe but I had puked up like a bathtub full of water and couldn't breathe right. I felt like a part of me was gone. I just had to take a nap.

Everyone who hadn't died had been evacuated to Ring City, where I had been living while Station Square was being repaired and where I met you. 

In the meantime of my three hours of sleeping, Tails and Amy had been looking for me. Knuckles helped Tikal lead Chaos - in this weird soul form - back to Angel Island, where he sealed them inside the Master Emerald. Apparently, Tikal had been chosen as this, like, other Chaos Guardian? She was also in the murals. I was to revert Chaos to their soul form and Tikal was supposed to accompany them into the afterlife or whatever? I dunno. I've been told that if you press right up against the Master Emerald and listen close, you can hear them talking to one another." He killed the end-of-game boss and let the last cutscene play. "But yeah. That's what happened in the end 2244. Crazy year, dude." The credits began to roll, and Sonic skipped them, bringing the game back to the menu screen.

"That's...insane. I couldn't imagine dealing with all of that," Shadow commented.

"Well, you dealt with much worse in '48. With Doom and everything. You had ammesia, not a mild dislike of swimming. Which, by the way, I had to learn like immediately during the fight. I still don't know how to swim properly. Nor do I care."

"Well, you killed a god. I killed my biological father. And is all of that why you're scared of water?"

"Oh yeah. I just didn't like it too much before, but after and still to this day, I don't even take baths. Hell, I had to move my lawnchair out by the pool back like four feet," he jested, nudging Shadow with his elbow. In a more serious tone, he asked, "What time is it anyways?"

"Three-ish."

"Oh fuck. Can we hit the hay? Or at least, can I. Not much of a morning person, but I still don't like my sleep schedule being all fucked up," he said, getting up and putting the controller next to the GameCube. He pressed the power button on both active devices, turning to Shadow.

"Yes. I prefer to be up around ten at the latest," he replied, getting up himself. He kicked his shoes off in the direction of the door, landing them not too far from their intended destination. Sonic walked over and pried his off, setting them next to the door. He set Shadow's upright as well, knowing his preference for neatness.

"Down this way," Shadow said, heading down his narrow and short excuse for a hallway. Sonic followed him into the open door on the right, where no lights were on.

There was a pretty large bed in the center of the back wall, with black sheets and a dark oak headboard. The white pillows were a stark contrast. A small desk with a closed laptop upon it, plugged into the outlet on the wall, was tucked into the left corner, office chair pushed right into the leg space. A window on the left wall was covered with navy blue curtains. A dresser was against the right wall, next to a closed closet. A bedside table was on the right of the mattress with a neat little lamp, presumably Shadow's phone - also plugged in, and an ashtray on top. Sonic got a little grumpy at the sight of it, knowing that a lighter and pack were probably in the drawer.

He could much too easily imagine Shadow draped across the sheets, ankles crossed and naked, taking a long drag off of a cigarette before flicking the ash off the tip into the tray on the bed beside him, accompanied by the lighter. Smoke whispered up in thin columns.

The real Shadow mumbled, "Here's my room. Er, ours, for the night, I guess. The bathroom is the other door in the hall, the lightswitch is on the left of the door. Everything in there is orderly, so finding anything needed is easy."

"It's really clean," Sonic remarked, looking at the swirling ceiling fan. It was cream, like the baseboards and unlike the jet black walls, and without a single speck of dust in sight.

"I'm a clean freak. It comes from living aboard the ARK. It was...tidy, to say the least, up there," he explained, sitting on the edge of the bed. He peeled his gloves off around his inhibitors, which looked much more meticulous than it actually was. In reality, all Shadow did was slightly loosen the ring, slip the glove through the newfound space and off his hand, then retighten the inhibtor. Sonic found it nearly witchcraft.

Sonic came and joined him on the bed. It made a pleasant squeak of springs when he sat. He shed his gloves as well, asking, "Where should I put them?"

Shadow, setting his on the nightstand, replied, "Just right here will do."

He put them next to Shadow's.

"Sonic, which side of the bed do you want?"

"Uh, I don't really care. As long as you're comfortable."

"I usually sleep on the right. So, you're on the left, I suppose."

"Fine with me," Sonic shrugged, rolling onto the other side of the bed and plopping down.

Shadow stood up and said, "I'm going to brush my teeth. I suggest you do the same. I have spares."

Sonic looked at his retreating form as he walked out of the room. He had grown to notice a lot of little things about Shadow. The way he held himself had an attractive arrogance about it; his gait was steady and strong; his hips moved in just the _smallest_ sideways rock while he walked.

He heard the water run for a few moments and then shut off. A minute passed. Two. Three. The water ran again, and Shadow strode back into the bedroom. He threw the covers aside and sat on the bed again. "Go on."

Sonic begrudgingly dragged himself up. He didn't brush his teeth ninety percent of the time anyways, so he figured that it wouldn't kill him now.  _You're doing it for Shadow, think of it like that._ He found a spare toothbrush, in his lucky color red, and was disconcerted to discover that Shadow had four different kinds of toothpaste.

"Shadow, why the hell are there so many toothpastes?" he shouted across the hall.

"I need them!" he yelled back. "Use the one on the top shelf of the mirror cabinet!"

"Alright!"

Ignoring the four tubes lined up on the counter, he swung open the mirror and removed the aforementioned item. It was mostly full, and he squeezed some out onto the wet bristles of the brush.

He took care of it, though much quicker than Shadow, and rinsed off the brush. He went to set it in the holder and discovered that Shadow's brush was royal blue. He smiled a little bit.

He shimmied back to the bedroom where Shadow was laying on his back, under the covers, on his phone. In the dark, the bright light reflected in his calm eyes. Sonic saw the white and blue of messages. Shadow said, "Damn, you sent me like thirty texts. Sorry."

"It's fine, I was just worried. I should be apologizing for blowing up your phone," Sonic laughed as he plopped onto the other side. It felt strangely familiar yet incredibly foreign to lay this close to Shadow, especially in a bed.

"I don't mind." Shadow texted Rouge that he was alright, and he apologized for all the trouble he accidentally caused. He didn't get a reply, and he didn't expect to. She was probably working the club, even though it was a Thursday. He probably wouldn't even get a read receipt until noon tomorrow.

Sonic slid under the sheets, where he could feel the natural body heat that Shadow constantly emanated press against him. It was a nice but strange kind of warm, especially considering Shadow kept his apartment at seventy degrees. 

Shadow went to Sonic's contact and changed the name from _Faker_ to  _Sonic_ followed by a blue heart. He didn't feel the need to hide his own feelings from himself anymore. That felt good.

He turned his phone off and placed it on the bedside table screen-down. He laid down on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He watched the ceiling fan turn and turn, humming softly with the mechanical essence of all machinery.

His gaze shifted over to Sonic, who also was also laying on his back, but looking at Shadow. His features were soft but not muddled by the dark. Night vision was often times pleasing.

"Hey, Shads?"

"Yes?"

Sonic rolled on his side, to face Shadow completely. He placed a bare hand to Shadow's cheek, who tensed in just the slightest. He leaned in, and gave the mutant a small, gentle kiss. He kissed back, and they mutually drew away after a few moments.

"G'night. Love you," Sonic mumbled as he settled in comfortably.

Shadow smiled, and muttered back, "I love you too."


	6. VI: COMFORTABLE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used is When I Fall In Love by Nat King Cole! Also, I want to change the name of this because the current title definitely isn't working for it. In my opinion, at least. I'm deciding between a few, but I'd like to hear your opinions! Which of these do you like best? The last one probably won't make sense until around the end of this entire fic (so, at the very least, 10-ish chapters from now), but is relevant. Also I'm hopelessly in love with this song.
> 
> •When We Fall In Love  
> •Vulnerability  
> •How To Let Go

The bright light of the morning sun strained to get through the dark blue curtains, but just enough filtered through for it to spill a ray or two of light over Sonic's sleeping form. Shadow, who had somehow managed to get himself untangled from the accidental death trap the two sleeping hedgehogs had snuggled into, sat leaning against the headboard, watching the slumbering hero breathe quietly. The way his body rose and fell gently with each inhale and exhale was rhythmic, quills pointed up at the ceiling, belly-down on the mattress. His face, although mashed into the pillow, was turned somewhat in Shadow's direction. A peaceful smile, incredibly unlike his usual cocky grin, lay on his closed lips.

Shadow savored the moment as he grabbed his phone off of the nightstand, unlocking it with haste. He pulled up his camera, double-checked that the flash was off, and focused it. He took the shot, thanking Chaos that his phone had such an immaculate camera that worked so well, even in this poor level of light.

He looked at the picture and then back at the sleeping hedgehog. They were both still, with a soft air of tranquility and calm. He set the photo as Sonic's contact picture before checking the time; 9:08. He returned his phone to the table and peeled back the sheets. Doing his best to not disturb Sonic, he got up from the bed and moved the covers back so the other wouldn't get cold.

He padded over to the restroom. Upon entering, he flicked the lightswitches to interchange the tiny halogen bulb above the sink that he left on at night with the two fluorescent tubes on the ceiling. In the mirror that covered a good two by two space on the wall, Shadow took a long, hard look at himself and deemed his reflection one word:  _Shit._

Whether it was the utterly ravaged look of his mess of quills, the start of bags under his eyes becoming a bit more prominent, or the fact that even after all these years he still was used to looking at his reflection and seeing complete and utter perfection, not this trainwreck before him now; Shadow didn't really care. He just had to take care of it.

He swung the mirror open on its hinges, right to left, and scanned the open cabinet within for his bottle of Valien. It'd been almost a month and a half since he'd last taken the seemingly useless drug, but mainly because he'd been feeling much better lately. Nevertheless, intending to get himself back on track, he extracted it carefully, being sure not to knock anything out of place, and poured two of the pills into his open palm, which he deposited on the counter while returning the bottle to its place on the tiny, hidden shelf. He snatched one of the Ditrie cups in the cupboard that could pass for a shotglass if you were feeling desperate and shut the mirror before filling the paper container from the tap. 

 _Breakfast of champions,_ he remarked without humor but with a smug smirk, downing the pills with a quick swig of water.

Fortunately, they settled smoothly and Shadow disposed of the paper cup properly. He glanced at himself in the mirror one last time before pulling aside his plain white shower curtain. He turned the tap on, giving it a minute to run and warm up. In the brief moments before returning to the water, he closed but didn't lock the restroom door. If Sonic woke up and needed to go about his business, Shadow didn't want it to have to happen in the kitchen sink.

He transferred the water from faucet to showerhead, and stepped in, assuring the curtain was closed properly.

* * *

Sonic felt something breach his slumber and gave into it. He raised his head, groaning and looking around. He startled briefly, but came down from it almost immediately when he realized he was still at Shadow's. He was confused as to why the anti-hero was not in bed next to him as he had been last night.

The room was dark, save for a few stray sunbeams penetrating weak spots in the heavy curtains. He didn't see a clock, so he crawled across the bed, noticing that when Shadow arose he had tucked the covers back around Sonic. He grasped Shadow's phone, now off the charger, and turned it on.

The brightness had been turned down a little, thankfully, and he absorbed the information that it was currently 9:17 in the morning. He also noticed that Rouge had sent Shadow a couple messages. He put the phone back on the nightstand and plopped face-down onto Shadow's pillow. That rich, enrapturing smell of lavender, rain, gas, and smoke was permanently imprinted into the fabric, and Sonic inhaled as deep as his lungs would allow.

He just laid there for a moment, bathing in Shadow's scent, listening to the faint hum of the ceiling fan. After a minute, more focused, he could hear water running. It was a gentle drumming, likely that of a shower, and Sonic presumed that Shadow was taking one. When he concentrated further, listened a little closer, he could hear the sound of a voice. He tried to follow it, but it was far away.

He sat up, sheets falling away from his shoulders, and swiveled his head towards the open bedroom door. His ear flicked at the slightly more distinct sound of the voice. It seemed like it was...singing?

He moved the covers aside and stood up cautiously, as if sudden movements would cause the music to fade. He tiptoed to the door, praying to every unseen god that he wouldn't step on a creaky floorboard. He almost did, but some force out there in the universe let him off the hook, and he continued out to the hall flawlessly.

He could hear it much clearer now, could almost make out words, and determined it was most definitely Shadow.  _Shadow? Sing? That's a surprise if I ever saw one._

Sonic twisted the knob of the bathroom door quietly, now feeling in his gut that if Shadow heard him, he'd stop. He really didn't want that, Shadow had a lovely voice, so he kept as silent as he could. When the door was open, the song was evident, Shadow couldn't hide that he had been singing if he tried.

Sonic focused in on the words, watching the silhouette beyond the shower curtain shampoo his spines.

_"When I fall in love, it will be forever_

_Or I'll never fall in love..."_

Sonic didn't recognize the song, but the smoothness of Shadow's voice and the way he made the words flow together so well were entrancing. He relaxed his posture.

_"In a restless world like this,_

_Love is ended before it's begun._

_And too many moonlight kisses,_

_Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun..._ _"_

Sonic felt a coil of sadness tighten inside him. Even though it was but a song, it seemed as if Shadow had been hurt or aching. Sonic desperately wanted to take any trace of pain far, far away.

_"When I give my heart, it will be completely._

_Or I'll never give my heart."_

Shadow had finished cleansing himself, and was almost done with rinsing the suds from his fur. Sonic leaned against the door frame with a swelling heart.

_"And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too,_

_Is when I fall in love..._ _with you..."_

Shadow dragged out the end of the  _you_ , a bittersweet tone to his already melancholy voice. He sighed in a soft mixture of dreamy and exhausted, whispering, "Look what you got yourself into."

Sonic retensed when he noticed Shadow's hand reaching for the tap. He had no time to exit without making too much noise, and it would be beyond awkward to just stand there. So, lacking any other options, he knocked against the door frame he was standing in, asking aloud, "Yo, Shads, you in here?"

Shadow jumped a bit inside the shower stall as the water shut off, but quickly replied, "Y-Yes!"

"Are you gonna be out in a minute or two? I gotta pee."

His silhouette took hold of one mass of quills and squeezed. Water puddled loudly onto the floor. "I should be. But if you really have to go, just go ahead."

"Uh, I can wait."

He moved on to another bunch. "Do as you please. I don't really care."

"I'll wait, dude. I don't wanna, like, invade your post-shower privacy or whatever," Sonic said, beginning to close the door.

"Well, it doesn't bother me, but do what you're comfortable with."

"How long are you gonna be?" He realized he _actually_ had to use the bathroom.

"Not long. Five minutes tops."

"I'll last. Do your thing," he finished, shutting the door and stepping out into the shallow hallway.

Shadow shrugged. He didn't care, frankly. He squeezed the last of the water from his quills and pulled the curtain aside again, stepping out. Excess water dripped onto the bath mat set on the edge of the tub, but it would dry. He snagged a towel from the hooks on the back of the door and began his meticulous process of drying. He started from the top and went down, being incredibly tidy with the job. 

When he was sure he was dry, he draped the towel across the shower bar, and exited the room. Sonic waited outside, twiddling his fingers.

"It's all yours," Shadow told him, leaving the door open. The shift in temperature from the warm, steamy bathroom to the cool hall was a bit uncomfortable, but Shadow was no stranger to the sensation, having done this every day for the past three years. 

As Sonic shut the door behind him, Shadow waltzed into his own room, headed for the closet. He yanked it open haphazardly, scanning the contents within. He spotted what he wanted, a simple dark gray hoodie, and removed it. He slid the closet doors shut before slipping the hoodie on and settling into the soft fabric.

He sighed softly. Things were going right in his life for once. He took a deep breath and smiled to himself.

* * *

**Rouge (10•21)** _g_ _ood to hear you didn't off yourself._

 **Rouge (10•21)** _how's blue? he was really worried yesterday._

 **You (10•21)** _Haha. Very funny, Rouge._

 **You (10•21)** _He's good, though._

 **Rouge (10•21)**   _that's good. you boys take care of yourselves now. i'm gonna go drink myself into a coma._

Shadow liked her message.

 **You (10•21)** _Use the brandy or rum this time. Last time when you used the peach vodka you smelled like an orchard full of vomit for a week._

 **Rouge (10•21)** _i'll consider it._

Shadow chuckled to himself before setting his phone face-down on the counter. He poured the pancake batter into the awaiting pan and began cooking just as he heard footsteps apporaching the kitchen.

"Ooooh! What'cha cooking?" Sonic asked, sitting on the counter next to the stove. 

Shadow rolled his eyes and replied, "I thought you could read."

"What?"

"The box of batter," Shadow said, flipping the food.

"Ohhhh... Yeah, I can, I just don't."

Shadow nudged him in the leg with his elbow. "Get down from there before you get burnt."

"And just  _how_ am I gonna get burnt sitting  _here_?" Sonic inquired, putting on a massively faux British accent.

Shadow chuckled amusedly. "When I slap you with the spatula."

"Yikes," Sonic hopped down. "No thank you."

Shadow laughed darkly again, "That's what I thought."

Sonic, ignoring the comment, hugged Shadow from behind, setting his head on his shoulder. He looped his arms beneath Shadow's, allowing movement of the appendages, and toyed with the strings of his jacket.

"This is impractical," Shadow stated, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. Sure, they had hugged before, but never like this. Sonic was pressed flush against his back, and he could feel his tail pressed firmly in a place it shouldn't be in the first place. Shadow had only ever allowed very few, well-trusted people, let alone Sonic, touch him like this.

Hugs from Maria and sometimes falling asleep next to her were different, because they were like siblings. They had never kissed like Sonic and him had kissed because it was wrong, only occasionally on the cheek or forehead. Shadow had never felt romantically for Maria, and he definitely wouldn't even consider it right now; like he said, it was wrong. That, and he wasn't even attracted to women. Rouge had hugged him before, but it was usually on the days when it got rough, in consolation or comfort. They had once passed out on Rouge's sofa next to each other, but they hadn't even brushed arms in their sleep. It wasn't ever like this. They had never been like the two hedgehogs, mainly due to Shadow's lack of reciprocation at the first bout of flirting, and it had just stayed like that.

Shadow didn't fully understand the feelings stirring in the pit of his stomach.

"Hugs? Impractical? What kinda nonsense are you blabbering on about?" Sonic poked Shadow's cheek playfully.

"Not all hugs. Just this type, especially when I'm cooking."

"Don't be silly! You can move your arms and stuff!"

Shadow grumbled unintelligibly before muttering, "Alright."

He flipped the pancake again. It was almost golden brown, so he let it sit for a moment. He recalled the sensation of the flower in his chest, and realized how it was now in a luscious state of bloom, vibrantly colored petals spread in a regal manner, stem prickling with tiny leaves, and rooted in the depths of his heart.

"Y'know, I'm glad that we're so comfortable around each other now. Last year, the most contact we ever made was hitting each other. Now, we're like...this. I'm glad we got closer," Sonic mumbled, breath washing over Shadow's half-exposed neck not entirely unintentionally.

Shadow resisted the urge to shudder. This sensation was... _new._ The flower was curling the tips of its petals, and Shadow bit his lip. "I'm glad as well. Now, I have to take care of this, would you mind letting go of me for a minute?"

Sonic groaned in an extremely melodramatic manner before unhooking his arms and stepping back. The change in temperature was unwelcome, as Shadow had grown accustom to the soft warmth of Sonic's body pressed against his even though Shadow was at least ten degrees hotter by nature of creation.

He pushed through it nevertheless, sliding the pancake from the pan to a plate he had set down a few minutes prior. He mixed some more batter while Sonic kept his eyes fixed on him, and although Shadow was aware of his gaze, he couldn't pinpoint where it was. He didn't speak on it and continued with his cooking.

Immediately after Shadow finished pouring the fresh bowl of batter into the still hot pan, Sonic asked, "Is it hug time yet?"

Shadow laughed and shook his head, "I reckon so."

Sonic latched back on, switching which shoulder on which his chin rested, and smiled. Shadow was incredibly warm, constantly emanating heat, and the slight chill that naturally seeped into Sonic and his bones during the sluggish transition from autumn to winter was virtually banished when in Shadow's company.

"Do you want more than two pancakes?" Shadow implored, flipping the item in the pan.

"Uhhh..." - Shadow once again avoided shivering at the breath against his fur - "I think two'll be good."

"As you please."

Sonic exhaled softly and nuzzled against Shadow, confusing Shadow's systems once more. He didn't understand the feeling pooling inside him, but he didn't dislike it either. It was peculiar, almost a tingling sensation, but not at all bad. Shadow allowed the Blur to carry out his affectionate actions so he could further investigate the unfamiliar emotion.

He flipped the pancake again as Sonic asked, "What do you have for breakfast-y drinks?"

The words vibrated off of his neck and Shadow swallowed hard, pleading that the other didn't notice. Sonic's lips had brushed against his throat, a sensation that deepened the brain-frying feeling within his insides. He felt like a wound up spring, ready to uncoil at any given moment, but didn't give in to the unknown feeling.

"Well, I have coffee. There's the tea, if you consider that 'breakfast-y'. I don't know if the orange juice in the fridge is expired or not, I barely ever drink it anyways. Usually for mimosas, anyway."

Sonic snickered at the mimosa crack. "I can't drink coffee for the life of me. Gets me all excited for, like, five minutes, then I crash for nearly a week."

"I wouldn't be able to live without it."

"I definitely can."

"How about the tea? You seemed to be head over heels for that last night."

"Maybe. Might have the O.J. though, if it's still alive."

Shadow hummed in acknowledgment, sliding the second pancake on top of the first one. "Alright, hug time is over, at least for while you eat."

Sonic made a scene about it again, but went to the refrigerator to do some juice hunting. Shadow slathered some butter on the pancakes after retiring the frying pan to the sink.

"You want syrup, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Sonic said, removing the half-full carton of orange juice from the fridge. "This baby's still good, though! Where're your cups?"

Shadow pointed to the specific cupboard in which they were stored while opening another to grab the syrup. He drizzled it neatly over the food before recapping the bottle. Sonic had already poured himself a glass and set it at the counter, and was currently returning the now less full carton to the fridge.

Shadow snagged a fork and knife from his utensil drawer and set the plate next to the mug brimming with juice. Sonic slid onto the barstool and grinned down at his plate.

"Wait, Shads, aren't you gonna get something, too?" he questioned, smile faltering.

Shadow popped one of the premade cups of grounds into his coffee maker. "Just some caffeine for me, Sonic. I don't eat much, anyways."

A small frown made it's way to Sonic's face as he cut his pancakes. "You should. No wonder you're skinnier than me! You live off coffee, tea, and mimosas!"

Shadow snorted. "I drink  _other_ alcohol, y'know."

Sonic took a bite and spoke while he chewed. "Like what?" He swallowed his food, stuck his nose in the air, and put on a snooty accent. "A fine, aged wine over dinner?"

Shadow laughed and took his own mug from the machine. "Sometimes." He took a sip as he sat across from Sonic. "I prefer dark liquors, though. The bitterness is appealing."

Sonic stuck his tongue out before lifting his adorned fork up to his lips again. "You're like a grandpa, Shadster."

He took a healthy gulp of the hot, dark drink in his hands. "Well, I _was_ created almost sixty years ago, even if I'm only physically twenty-three."

Sonic laughed for a moment, but then he murmured, with a much less enthusiastic voice, "You always say ' _created_ '. Like you're not a person. Just...a machine, or something."

Shadow grimaced. "No. Not like that. Not like that at all. I just use the more technical terms, as I didn't have a _real_ mother or anything. I didn't come from a proper birth. I was just a lot of various DNA at first, a few hedgehog spines and Black Arms blood. I wasn't really...born."

Sonic sighed and chewed slowly. As he swallowed, he lifted his glass to his lips. "I dunno. It just...feels weird."

Shadow did the same. "It always does."

Sonic exhaled sharply through his nose in response. "You're still a grandpa."

Shadow appreciated his effort of lightening the mood. The atmosphere had grown a little heavy in the last few minutes. "And you're still a little kid."

"Hey! I was almost sixteen when I met you!"

"I met _you_ on my eighteenth birthday."

"Wait. Really?"

"Yes. Also Maria's."

"I never realized our birthdays are like..." he paused, eyes distant for a moment. "...five days apart."

"Coincidence, really. Thousands of people are brought into this world every day. There are plenty of other June twenty-third, 2230's on Earth."

Sonic cringed. "I hate it when you call it Earth. Until you, I only ever heard humans call it that. Was always Mobius to me. Is, I mean. That's why we're called Mobians!"

"You must remember I was made and raised aboard a space colony created and run by humans. I was taught that it is called Earth. Even Black Doom called it that. That's just my way of speech."

Sonic exhaled through pursed lips, which made a sound like a balloon deflating. He slouched. "Okay. Pancakes, though."

He kept eating, and they were quiet. Shadow was beginning to confide in these soft silences.

Complete silence used to be a burden, something of annoyance. Sure, Shadow liked his peace and quiet, but he had to have _something_ in the background - humming, conversation, music. But the comfort that he discovered in the moments where neither of them spoke and there was just white noise...

...It scared him a little bit.


	7. Update

Hey everybody. I'm sorry for the recent lack of chapters. I've recently hit a rocky patch in my life, much worse than expected when I mentioned I might be going on hiatus. As much as I love Sonadow and this story, things just aren't going as planned in both life and the fic.

I do want to continue, technically rewrite, this. I like the concept, but I'm having major motivation issues. Plus, it wasn't really going at all as planned? It escalated _much_ too quickly and things just felt  _off_ to me. Ranging from incorrect wording, bad descriptions, overuse of certain things, shitty plot devices, and being entirely out of character (which was charming, to a degree, I suppose); this fic just went down the drain in my opinion.

I dread the idea that I've possibly disappointed anybody with this announcement - you guys in the comments really seemed to be enjoying the story so far! I'm so proud of myself for being able to provide that. However, I'm just having a lot of issues all over the place, just fucking  _everywhere._ So, if you're mad or something, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm still just barely an adult, not even 20 yet, so my life is kinda busy and ridiculous.

I really, really hope you guys have a good day, night, week, or whatever else can apply here. This story will, at the very least, be put on pause while I further plan and write to make it better/potentially start a new couple of fics that've been in the back of my mind inspired by dreams I've had. Until then, just view the end of the last chapter as a happy ending, I guess?

I mean, Sonic's happy and in love. Shadow's a little conflicted with how good it feels because the universe has never been all too kind to him, but hey! They're together and enjoying it. At least that's there.

This is just for the best. I hope everyone understands. For both my mental and physical health, I just need a break. Until next time, folks.

                                 » Mel ♡


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